Clashing on the ivory bed, swords drawn and grinding deep in secret.
This pleasure, this fate, beyond compare—peerless among the arts of passion.
…
…
…
While Cao Chuan was venting his fire, on the other side, in the CEO office on the 88th floor of the Cao Corporation, Cao Hai was clearly fuming.
Seeing that only Lin Wanrong and Shen Mengying were present—both trusted insiders—he paced around like an ant on a hot pan in the spacious, luxurious office.
“Damn it, how could that bastard have such luck?”
“Out of ten investments, he lost nine before this, yet just when the fight for the Cao Family Heir position begins, he strikes gold and makes a huge profit.”
“Is the heavens blind or what…”
Shen Mengying pretended not to hear or see anything, quietly choosing to stay invisible.
Lin Wanrong, however, remained calm and composed, like a seasoned general fishing in troubled waters. “Have you already forgotten what I repeatedly taught you? In times of major events, keep calm.”
“Cao Chuan is only slightly ahead for now. The sky hasn’t fallen.”
After she motioned for Cao Hai to sit down, she turned to Shen Mengying. “Mengying, give a detailed rundown of the situation again.”
“Yes.” Shen Mengying snapped back to focus and briefly recounted Cao Chuan’s investment in international gold that day.
“Young Master Cao seems to have gotten hold of some insider news, which is why his investment timing in the gold market was so precise…”
But before she could finish, Cao Hai angrily interrupted, “Bullshit!”
“That loser just got lucky, plain and simple!”
“He’s lost way more than he’s earned in the past. If he really had insider info, would his past record be like that?”
“And besides, I didn’t even receive any wind of such a drastic change in the gold market—how the hell would he have inside information?”
Shen Mengying had no choice but to stop speaking and looked at Lin Wanrong.
“I’ll find a chance to ask Keran later and have her help us gather some intel on Cao Chuan’s situation.”
“The reason I called you here now is because I want you to understand—what’s done is done. The pressing matter now is to think about what we should do next.”
Only then did Cao Hai shut up and stop venting.
Shen Mengying continued, “According to analysis reports from several major international investment banks, this round of international gold surge is estimated to rise by around 20% to 23%. With Young Master Cao investing 1 billion yuan, he could earn around 200 million yuan…”
Once the report ended, silence fell upon the office.
Shen Mengying quickly stepped back to the side, resuming her role as the invisible one.
Lin Wanrong looked at Cao Hai. “Mengying’s summary is clear. Cao Chuan is currently 200 million ahead of you. You should start feeling some urgency by now.”
“I asked you earlier to sort out your company’s current investment project portfolio—how’s that going?”
At the mention of this, Cao Hai clearly showed signs of guilt.
He avoided eye contact and stammered, “I-I’ve sorted part of it… but I haven’t finished.”
From the way he acted—and knowing how he usually was—Shen Mengying could tell that he probably hadn’t done anything at all.
This guy, while somewhat clever, was arrogant, indulgent, and addicted to pleasure. If no one watched over him, he absolutely wouldn’t work diligently.
Lin Wanrong also seemed to have expected this.
A trace of contempt flashed in her eyes before she calmly said, “If we rely solely on you, I doubt we’ll meet the deadline.”
Then, her gaze shifted sharply to Shen Mengying. “In that case, Mengying, you’ll have to work overtime for the next couple of days. Help Young Master Hai filter out a batch of viable investment projects as soon as possible.”
“Huh?” Shen Mengying was caught off guard.
Forced into the succession battle between Cao Hai and Cao Chuan, she was already under immense pressure. Now Lin Wanrong was even asking her to work overtime for this?
Is there no justice? No law in this world anymore?!
She just wanted to earn her paycheck quietly!
But recalling things she had witnessed recently, she ultimately didn’t dare voice her rejection.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing Lin Wanrong’s sharp gaze sweep over her, she quickly changed her tune, “I’ll get on it right away.”
She even forced a smile toward Lin Wanrong.
Lin Wanrong, however, seemed to have misunderstood her expression. After a brief pause, she said, “Don’t worry, I won’t let your hard work go unrewarded.”
“I’ll notify the finance department to double your salary for this month.”
“Also, once this is over, I’ll consider this a major merit on your part.”
“Th-thank you, CEO Lin.” Shen Mengying had no choice but to thank her.
Only after Lin Wanrong gestured for her to leave, and she returned to her own office, did she finally feel like crying.
She immediately took out her phone, wanting to share her grievance with someone.
But after scrolling through her contacts, she felt even more bitter.
Because she suddenly realized—despite having thousands of contacts, there wasn’t a single person she could truly confide in.
Living in a foreign city, she didn’t even have one friend she could call just to chat.
Left with no choice, Shen Mengying logged into a fresh, unknown alternate account and posted a new update:
[In the end, I still have to carry it all alone.]
[…]